


Getting a Drink

by Europolarist



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 15:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3983395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Europolarist/pseuds/Europolarist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off a comment Ulfberth War-Bear made while walking through Whiterun in my latest playthrough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting a Drink

Eydis walked through the gates of Whiterun, exhausted and dirty after her latest trip out into the wilds on a job for the Companions. She’d been living at Breezehome for the past few months, training in Jorrvaskr with her shield-siblings and preparing for her eventual showdown with Alduin. 

Before she could even think about going after the dragon directly, Eydis knew that she would need more than just weapon training. Walking past the Warmaiden’s smelter, Eydis cringed. It had been four months since she’d returned to the city to find a vampire attacking citizens in the middle of the road. Adrienne had been fighting the master and his thrall with nothing but her smithing hammer. Eydis had immediately pulled her arrows from their quiver and shot a few into the fight, but it was too late to save the young smith. Adrienne had died in Eydis’ arms before Ulfberth could come down from the Bannered Mare. 

Eydis still couldn’t look the burly Nord in the eye after she’d failed to save his most beloved wife.

The door to Warmaiden’s armory opened, lantern light spilling out onto the street and Eydis flinched when she saw Ulfberth’s form appear in the doorway.

“Eydis,” he called out, his rough voice surprising her. 

“Ulfberth,” she managed, guilt causing heat to flood her features with a blush. All she needed were a few more paces and she could have been safe within her home. Instead she was going to be forced to speak to the man whose wife she’d more or less killed. 

Unable to say anything else, she nodded in greeting and began heading down the road.

“Wait,” he called out.

Eydis stopped when his large hand clasped her shoulder, gently enough not to hurt but strong enough to tell Eydis that Ulfberth wouldn’t let her get away without speaking with him. 

“I’m sorry, Ulfberth,” she started, wanting to give her excuses to get away. “I just got back from a job for Vilkas.”

His hand pulled away and a frown crossed his features. 

“I just wanted to,” he started, then glanced down at the road.

The voice in her head scolded Eydis at the sad look Ulfberth gave her when he glanced back at her and Eydis worried her bottom lip.

“We should get a drink sometime,” Ulfberth said, his voice quiet and unsure.

The grief in her once-friend’s eyes tugged at her heartstrings and Eydis reached out for his hand. She had once been great friends with the War-Bear family. Adrienne had even begun teaching her some blacksmithing techniques in the hopes that it would help Eydis purchase and eventually create armor and weapons to fight the World-Eater with.

He looked at her, eyes sad and brimmed slightly with unshed tears. Her heart truly broke to see Ulfberth’s grief. Guilt threatened to consume her soul seeing the widower’s pain.

“Give me an hour?” she asked, mentally going through her plans for the night. “I need to get cleaned up, but I will be happy to have a drink.”

The grin that burly Nord gave her brightened Eydis’ disposition. “I’ll see you there.”

An hour passed as Eydis changed out of her armor, took a quick sponge bath to clean up the blood from the bear she’d killed, and took a stamina potion so she wouldn’t fall asleep at the table in the tavern.

Dressed in a beige tunic and maroon overgown, Eydis cinched the wide belt tightly around her waist and found herself walking past Belethor’s General Goods toward the Bannered Mare. With her hair pulled back in a braid to keep Ulfberth from noticing that she hadn’t washed it yet, Eydis entered the warm tavern and immediately sought the man out. Eydis was surprised to see him sitting at a small table rather than at the bar where she’d seen him before.

“Eydis,” Vilkas’ familiar voice called out. She smiled but turned away from her shield-brother to walk to Ulfberth. He seemed to be enjoying a mead from Honigbrew, the best of the Skyrim Ales, and grinned when he saw her. She took the seat beside him and Ulfberth ordered a drink for her and requested as song from Mikael. She was surprised when it was Ragnar the Red rather than the Dragonborn comes which was a favorite of the Whiterun citizens. Armed with a second mug Ulfberth settled down beside Eydis at the table and she smiled. 

“Thank you for joining me,” he said. “I’d been hoping to catch you but you never seem to be home anymore.” 

“I am sorry, Ulfberth,” she interrupted. “My duties,”

“You don’t have to lie,” he said. “I know why you haven’t been around.”

Eydis looked down at her lap feeling heat rising on her chest, Warm fingers wrapped around her hand and Eysi managed to loop up. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Ulfberth said “Those vampires are the ones to blame. You did everything you could to try and stop those monsters.” 

Silence settled between them as Eydis tried not to burst into tears. 

“If I fought with swords or daggers maybe I could have saved her.” 

His hand gripped her fingers causing Eydis to look into his eyes; sincerity and warmth were the only emotions she could read in his features.

“I spent so much time trying not to hit her that I couldn’t get the vampire’s killed sooner.”

“Enough,” he said, picking her hand up off the table. “You comforted her in her last moments. For that I can never repay you.”

Eydis struggled to find something to say. 

“Come on,” Ulfberth said, a sigh in his voice and his hand patted the top of hers. “No more talk of Adrienne tonight. That’s not why I asked you to join me tonight. We are here to celebrate your safe return.” He grinned.

The next few hours passed quickly as Eydis and Ulfberth listened to the bard and enjoyed a late meal and more than a couple meads. 

She could hardly believe that she’d spent most of the night in the company of a man whom she thought hated her.

When Eydis had yawned for the fifth time, she noted the sly smirk on her companion’s face. “Will you allow me to walk you home?” he sked and within a few minutes Eydis found herself being escorted back to Breezehome on Ulfberth’s arm.

“Thank you for coming out with me tonight,” he said, eyes and warm. “I know you have had a long day.”

“I’m glad we cleared the air,” she said, unable to step the words from spilling out of her drunken lips. 

“I’ve missed your laughter,” he admitted. “Promise me that you’ll stop by the armory more often. Use the smelter and forge anytime. It would be nice to know her work will not go to waste.”

Eydis nodded.

“I will do what I can to honor her memory.”

Fishing her key out of her pocket, Eydis turned back to look at Ulfberth standing at her front step. 

“Thank you for a wonderful night,” she said, glad that he’d convinced her to go out with him.

Ulfberth smiled and leaned in, unexpectedly pressing his lips against hers lightly and pulling her close, almost flush against his form. The kiss lasted only a few seconds but warmed Eydis through as his arms wrapped around her waist. 

“Sleep well, Lady Dragonborn,” he said, pulling away. “I hope to see you at the shop again soon.”


End file.
